The paths less trodden at Bolton Abbey

Explore the private walled garden of the Duke of Devonshire

Not open to the public but only guests of The Hall at Bolton Abbey, the Duke of Devonshire’s private walled garden is paved with paths less trodden. Head gardener Peter Smith has tended the space for over 20 years, propagating wonders from a bulldozed wreckage.

He envisioned the area not only as a ‘pleasure garden where the duke and duchess could come, with their friends and family’, but also as a space that would provide sustainable produce to the chefs at The Hall. ‘During the early summer, I grow asparagus and then I plant kale, Swiss chard, grapes, melons, pears, salad crops, and all types of vegetables, really,’ he explains. In addition to vegetables, peonies, phlox, sweet peas and dahlias can be found here in the summer, ready to be cut and arranged for guests staying in The Hall.

Peter also tends to the private garden at The Hall itself, which unlike the kitchen garden, is traditional, with clean-cut lawns and various ornamental shrubs and trees dotted around the space. Its edges are fringed with wild flowers alongside lush flora and foliage. It also offers a terrace area where guests can lounge while enjoying afternoon tea; the large lawn has hosted croquet games, pitch and putt, and al fresco dining.

Learn more about what a stay at The Hall at Bolton Abbey has to offer.

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